Week 7: Cowboys (2-3) at Giants (3-3)

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The previous time Matt Cassel filled in for a franchise quarterback, he was a first-time starter who unexpectedly won 10 games for New England after Tom Brady's season-ending knee injury in the 2008 opener.

Seven years later, he's filling in for Tony Romo, needing a fraction of that victory total to keep defending NFC East champion Dallas (2-3) in contention for the division title until Romo is ready to return from a broken left collarbone.

Cassel is likely to get at least four games, beginning Sunday against the New York Giants (3-3).

But the 33-year-old isn't the same player who hadn't even started in college when he replaced Brady and the Patriots and went 11-5, shared the AFC East title with Miami and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker.

"I think it was the start of helping me be equipped for a situation like this," said Cassel, acquired in a trade with Buffalo two days after Romo's injury in Week 2 at Philadelphia. "This is my 11th year. I've been through all different types of situations at this point in my career."